Announcing Retirement
It is with sadness that I wish to announce my official retirement, due to ill health, at the end of this month from my role as Practice Manager at Hartington Surgery. Many of you will know me but some of you will have never heard of me as I’m often in ‘my little box at the back’.
I started working for Doctors Bradbury, Hurst and Woods back in 2001, then later on for Hurst and Hurst (Gill and Graham Hurst). I have had a number of roles before becoming Practice Manager in 2008. Although those Doctors have now retired, Hartington was lucky enough to be taken over by Dr Dawson who continues to listen to patients, engage with the community and provide excellent clinical care. Over the years, I have seen the Practice develop and grow into something to be very proud of as demonstrated by the latest NHS GP patient survey which places Hartington as the top Practice in the whole of the East Midlands. It’s good to be ‘going out’ on a high.
I have worked alongside some lovely people, many of which I class as close friends as well as colleagues. The Friendship and Teamwork at Hartington does cascade into the level of service provided.
Primary Care and the role of GP Surgeries has changed immensely over the years due to ever changing Government agendas. When I first started, GP’s were still writing on the little cards in your Lloyd George brown envelopes. These had to be got out, and put away, for every clinic. Surgery appointment lists were still handwritten and all correspondence was via paper and had to be filed each day. Receptionists took all calls, including prescription orders and checked outgoing prescriptions.
Moving to more streamlined, electronic systems has not come without its challenges but change is inevitable and necessary and has put the Practice in a good place to face the future.
I will miss my job very much and hadn’t planned on retiring just yet, but I plan on spending my retirement getting well again then doing all those things that I have never had time to do and spending time with my ever growing family with a third grandchild due next year. I’m reliably informed by those that have already retired that I will wonder how I ever found time to go to work.
I am confident that Hartington Surgery will continue to grow and maintain the high standards that it has done so well to achieve and that patients will continue to benefit from high standards of health care in a practice that puts people first.
Thank you to all staff, the patient group and all patients who have been there over the last twenty three years.
With Regards,
Julie Coles
